Brigade Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Brigade Group, today announced the inauguration of the first phase of ‘Brigade-BCIC Skill Development Academy (BBSDA) – a Centre of Excellence’, with state-of-the-art infrastructure on a 5 acres land parcel in Aerospace Park, Bangalore North. Launched in association with Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) as knowledge partners, this academy is in line with Brigade Foundation’s founding principles. This ‘Not-for-Profit’ initiative aims to make a positive contribution to the lives of unemployed and underemployed people, apart from meeting the needs of the industry. BBSDA will focus on the construction, hospitality & tourism, manufacturing, and retail sectors and skill potential candidates to make them employable to their full potential. BBSDA is affiliated to the Construction Skills Development Council of India and Tourism and Hospitality Sector Council of India.

Speaking at the Inauguration, M R Jaishankar, Executive Chairman, Brigade Group said, “Brigade Foundation has a strong focus on education, health and community development which aligns seamlessly with Brigade Group’s commitment to skill development and job creation. By setting up BBSDA, Brigade Foundation is playing a pivotal role in providing the necessary support services to boost skill development in the state. The scope for skill development is tremendous. Today there is a shortage of over 11 lakh skilled employees in the fields of construction, hospitality & tourism, manufacturing, and retail industry sectors. The academy will work closely with BCIC to provide curriculum and identify candidates who can be skilled for employability. Also, many of those who are employed are generally underemployed due to lack of skill sets to progress in their careers. Through this initiative, we will actively promote the Government of India’s skill India program, significantly bridge the existing skilling gap in the state and enhance employability for a large number of people.”

Vineet Verma, President, BCIC said, "BCIC will be the knowledge partner for BBSDA and we are confident that with our 880 plus member companies, we would be able to make healthy contributions to the growth of industries in Karnataka. BBSDA will be a skilling platform for both freshers and working professionals. The idea is to create a centre of excellence where training imparted translates to better skills and productivity for the industry. This is a unique opportunity for Industry and academia to work together to create a more skilled workforce and create better employment opportunities.”